Has anyone ever relocated to the other end of the country for cheaper house prices?

[BumbleBeeWineGlass]

I'm just musing, I would like some experiences.

We're on holiday on the East coast, we drove past a lovely looking detached huge house and I pulled up the details on my phone and was gobsmacked at how cheap it was! This lead me to have a little search around the area we're in and everything is dirt cheap!

We come from the south coast where we live in a HA property that's a million miles too small because for even a tiny 3 bed you're looking at 350k+

Part of me is thinking about seriously speaking to DH about relocating, it would mean moving schools, leaving behind family and most challengingly moving my sons health care which is currently second to none, however somewhere else in the country we could afford a lovely big house with land, everyone could have a bedroom and DS could have his medical treatments at home, currently we spend 6 months a year in hospital because we can't facilitate a medical room and enough bedrooms in the current house.

Don't underestimate good schools and good healthcare, if you have them where you are now. You should research those things as thoroughly as possible before deciding on an area, given the extent of your DS's needs. Sometimes everything is cheap for a reason.

What about jobs? That’s a major reason why people move or don’t.

Schools where we are now are a mixed bunch, loads of brilliant primary schools, secondary is crap though - I have 2 kids in both a sit stands.

Jobs aren't an issue, DH can work remotely if he has appropriate space to do so (so doesn't at the moment as we don't even have a bed let alone a desk but would have a study in a bigger house)

I work in geriatric Care so am confident I can get work wherever I go.

It really is health care that's the issue. We have a great local hospital which is tied to the world leading specialist hospital which when he's in adult care he'll go to for everything as our local doesn't have a dept for his condition for adults.

It's something to really thing about - if we could get adequate housing where we are we'd stay in a heartbeat but it's not ever going to be possible. I'm not sure how important decent housing is for quality of life.

We did, moved from a very small expensive village in the south to a market town in Yorkshire.
We didn't own a house as they were just far too expensive and the deposit was always just out of reach with rental prices being so high.
We still, 2 & half years later, don't have enough for a deposit and don't live somewhere that I particularly like but can't now move due to DC schooling.
It's definitely not something I would rush into and I wouldn't do it just for a house. Friendships and support are far more important than bricks and mortar. We've definitely found out the hard way that the grass isn't always greener.

Areas where property is very cheap tend to have less employment opportunities. There’s a reason the SE is so expensive... there’s a city there that’s a huge player on the world stage.

Manchester is not cheap.

Middlesbrough is cheap.

Have a browse of the job market and available salaries and it all gets obvious.

My neice visited me recently and couldn't get her head round the fact my house was half the value of her house. She lives in a 3 bed attached house in a HA property in not a very nice area. We on the other hand live a 4 bed semi with a huge garden in a lovely little village. Schools are great. Hospitals are great. We live a very very nice life.

We looked to move the SE to be closer to my husband's family - both our salaries would have increased massively, but not in proportion to the extra living costs and mortgage repayments. In comparison to how his brothers live with their families there is no contest. We have a nice house.
Affordd nice holidays. More freedom as childcare costs are much much lower. So definitely do consider it.

I think the main things you will struggle with is losing your support network and the upheaval to your family. And obviously need to find out about the care situation for your child. We moved when we were Young so was really easy to settle into a new area and would most certainly be more difficult to do it now we are older and have a child. But... If we had of waited and knowing what I know now- I would still move

Rhica, are you in the North? or Wales? I'd love to know where is cheap (nice hospitals too) yet nice - it seems like a hard combination to find.

We sold up in London and bought elsewhere, best thing we did as it made such a difference to our lifestyle. I'd recommend it.

These are all really interesting points, thankyou for sharing.

I think I'll do more digging on what the local health care is like, it doesn't even have to be here where we are holidaying but somewhere where houses are cheaper.

DH's job wouldn't change and I get minimum wage anyway working in care so I don't think that would change although I do want to do my nursing degree so that's something I'd have to look into.

It's certainly not something we'd rush into, we're quite cautious people anyway and would only ever move if we'd already brought a house somewhere.

I think where we are now is getting me down so much that everything looks brighter, we don't even have a bed at home, we sleep in a crappy, tiny sofa bed that takes up the whole living room when out, we have all the kids sharing (2+2) including DS3 and DD and we have a tiny garden and as said, if we had space for a medical area DS wouldn't spend half the year in hospital every year but I know the grass don't always greener.

We’re in the South East, moving 1.5 hours north into Norfolk where for not much more than the price of our tiny 3 bed we can get a huge 4 bed farmhouse with land. With more and more jobs offering home working seems the perfect time to go it before house prices start evening out across the country.

cat what do you mean by cheap? We live in a really lovely area of the country and it is considerably cheaper than the south east, but more expensive than the north east. Whether it's cheap is what you compare it to iyswim!

I would come up to Scotland. Theres loads of care work where I am and a brilliant Hospital. Its dirt cheap to buy too.

I did it. Was saving for a deposit in the West Midlands but chose to move to the east coast to buy.

Got a 2 bed semi with a garden for less than a flat in the Midlands would have been. It was hard leaving my friend network at first but we made the time for visits and it worked out well in the end.

We did it, moved from near Heathrow where we had a two bed ex council semi to a 4 bed Georgian house overlooking the sea. There is only min wage work here but we earn enough as we don't have a mortgage. We miss friends and family but love living by the sea in a wonderful environment. We feel settled but it has taken best part of two years.

BumbleBeeWineGlass I think, given your DS is spending half a year in hospital, that your DH can work from home and that your income won't be impacted - go for it!

I'd start by researching good hospitals. Can you ask the medical professionals who know your DS what hospitals they recommend?

Then ask MN about what It's like living there obviously :)

We have considered doing this many times. Although we are currently renting and so moving could get us onto the housing ladder.

For us it is that battle over what is more important. Family nearby and a life we have worked hard to build, kids schools, work not just for us but opportunities for the kids when they are older vs owning our own home.

It is a tough one. I think the answer depends on the balance of advantages outweighng the disadvantages which are completely differently for everyone.

What would your children make of it?

Some nice areas are cheap such as parts of East Yorkshire and hospitals in Hull are good. Teesside is cheap but I wouldn’t move there.
I would like to move to a cheaper area but unfortunately my work is very much tied to the very expensive part on the north I currently live in

Come to Scotland, lots of beautiful towns/villages and very affordable.

If you can get health care of a similar level up in the new place its certainly worth considering. The only thing is being far from family is hard. My parents live down South whilst we had to move up north for work. We absolutely love it up north, we have a big house in a lovely area. However, my parents are now old and suffering from health problems. It's been a real worry for me as I just can't help them as much as I'd like to. They've had some health emergencies and I couldn't be there. It's worth considering these issues even if your parents are in good health now. Mine went from from very healthy to having problems almost overnight.

I got to 'my son's healthcare' and stopped. NO. Please just don't. I cannot, simply cannot, stress to you enough how vital this is, to be near these world-leading specialists. Nothing but nothing is worth that, no house in the world. We are having to consider making a huge move because our son needs healthcare that just isn't here.

Not having family near for support has, over the years, taken a major toll on my mental health.

I'd find a way to compromise in your current house, especially as it's an HA and secure tenancy.

Not deliberately but twice we moved for new jobs and both times were to cheaper housing areas.

The first move was great as we moved to a really nice part of the country and had a great lifestyle, the second move (where we are now) hasn’t been so good as DH really doesn’t like the location much, I am far more adaptable. But in terms of property we have a lovely 5 bedroom house plus a buy to let flat . I quite like relocating as it’s a chance to meet new people, do new things etc but you do need a positive attitude and to be quite out going.

Ps; my elderly parents moved to be fairly near us, that has worked well, they love the area and it is good to have them near as they getting frailer (late 80s), it would have been hard if they’d left it too late to move.

We’re in the south east and have thought about moving many times but two of my kids have special needs (one is in a specialist school) and we are nervous about moving across county.

My parents did this in the 1970s!.Moved from London to south coast .Quite cheap then but more expensive now.Have a look into it by all means, but your hospital sounds amazing and would be difficult to find anywhere else I think!.Do you own your home? If so why not put up a conservatory (If you have room) for extra space .If you live on the south coast you have to factor things like better weather ,warmer so cheaper on fuel bills,better opportunities for getting out to the seaside ,(My weekly treat!).It can be very chilly on the east coast, and more likely to snow as well .Just things to consider .House prices are normally linked to the desirability of the area TBH

For long term treatment you don't have to move hospital when you move. Is your child's condition one that has spaced out appointments when he is an outpatient? I would move the medical stuff unless you have to. If you could stay with family when you travel for appointments I'd do that